The Great Gatsby at Milton Keynes Theatre: Review

The Great Gatsby: An outstanding production

09:51Wednesday 17 April 2013

The heady, indulgent days of the 1920’s are captured within the pages of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel ‘The Great Gatsby’ and Northern Ballet is currently bringing the era of the moment to life at Milton Keynes Theatre.

Everyone is going gaga for Gatsby – with the resurgence influencing fashion, making its mark in Hollywood and inspiring new London fringe theatre shows – and the inventive dance company’s latest blockbuster adaptation combines all the glamour and opulence of the period.

The story focuses on American life straight after the First World War, when the United States and much of the world experienced huge economic expansion.

Peripheral narrator Nick Carraway moves east to New York’s Long Island in the spring of 1922.

He rents a house in a wealthy but unfashionable area populated by the ‘new rich’ (those who have recently acquired their money, lack established social connections and are prone to garish displays of wealth).

Soon, he is drawn to mysterious neighbour Jay Gatsby – a millionaire with a secret past and a penchant for lavish parties and beautiful women.

Nick spends time with his second cousin Daisy and her husband Tom Buchanan; meets Tom’s mistress Myrtle (married to mechanic George Wilson); has a tentative romance with pro-golfer Jordan Baker and gets to know Gatsby – reflecting upon just how empty life among the wealthy can be.

Ultimately, behind the optimism and frivolity of the decadent jazz age, hypocrisy and shallow recklessness pervade.

Artistic Director David Nixon had the surely daunting task of translating the much-lauded book to ballet.

He is passionate about creating innovative full-length ballets and attracting new audiences - consequently the company is known for its stunning story-telling (past successes have included adaptations of ‘Peter Pan’, ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘Wuthering Heights’).

Hence, my fellow audience members and I were expecting to have a “roaring” good time as the curtain rose on a story of wartime romance, mobster violence, excess, regret and fatal love affairs.

From the very first moment of Act 1, those familiar with the novel will instantly recognise the distinctive characters.

As a narrator, Nick is both disapproving and admiring of Gatsby’s excesses.

He finds himself romanticising events and becoming swept up in the nostalgia - although seemingly the innocent bystander, Nick is actually integral to the story.

Nick ensures the reunion of Daisy and Gatsby and his reflections upon events are what cement the themes of the book (social class, love, deceit, memory, morality, the American Dream).

The pas de trios just before the end of Act 1, therefore, beautifully shows Nick safely seeing Daisy reunited with Gatsby.

Similarly, in the novel there are imaginings and acts of re-telling as Nick alternates between presenting events as they appeared to him at the time, with sections where he offers his own interpretations of the story’s meaning and the motivations of the other characters.

So in this production, the use of a “Young Jay” and a “Young Daisy” in memory sequences allows the narrative to explore the past in a similar way.

The fashion and etiquette of the time involved polite partying with poise and oodles of style – conduct easily mastered by Northern Ballet’s dancers.

They perfectly embody the roles of high society flappers and well-groomed gents to illustrate Gatsby’s extravagant parties.

Still, Nixon pushes his dancers, using movement and rhythms influenced by the dance crazes of the time – so we see a dazzling Charleston and a sensual, balletic Tango (performed in hold and en pointe).

It is always a pleasure to watch male dancers perform, particularly in joyous group scenes.

Company dancer Sean Bates is from Milton Keynes and trained at the Royal Ballet School and he did us proud with some powerful jumps and strong grand jetes (leaps) as a party guest.

Jérôme Kaplan’s stunning sets and Julie Anderson’s chic costumes faultlessly depict time and place – particularly in creating the contrast between the elegant soirées and dingy garage.

My only criticism as a fan of the book is that the infamous car does not play more of a part on-stage.

Turning literature into dance is a fascinating but intimidating concept, particularly with a novel like ‘The Great Gatsby’, which boasts a complicated literary plot with many themes.

The prose is specific, imbued with observations which convey the longing for dreams that are, in truth, better dreamt than experienced in reality.

Interpretation of literature into ballet must use these words and the tone for inspiration.

Fortunately, Northern Ballet always delivers when it comes to performing narrative pieces and the production definitely encapsulates the spirit of ‘The Great Gatsby’.

Still, I would strongly advise that those completely unfamiliar with the story consult the programme.

The brief synopsis will ensure that the sublime dancing and stylish scenes are fully appreciated – with inspiration from such a classic novel, Nixon’s creative ability and a company of talented dancers, the end result is totally absorbing.

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